Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis). Issue 4 (22nd April 2020)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis). Issue 4 (22nd April 2020)
- Main Title:
- Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis)
- Authors:
- Rocha, Daniel G.
de Barros Ferraz, Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi
Gonçalves, Lucas
Tan, Cedric Kai Wei
Lemos, Frederico G.
Ortiz, Carolina
Peres, Carlos A.
Negrões, Nuno
Antunes, André Pinassi
Rohe, Fabio
Abrahams, Mark
Zapata-Rios, Galo
Teles, Davi
Oliveira, Tadeu
von Mühlen, Eduardo M.
Venticinque, Eduardo
Gräbin, Diogo M.
Mosquera B., Diego
Blake, John
Lima, Marcela Guimarães Moreira
Sampaio, Ricardo
Percequillo, Alexandre Reis
Peters, Felipe
Payán, Esteban
Borges, Luiz Henrique Medeiros
Calouro, Armando Muniz
Endo, Whaldener
Pitman, Renata Leite
Haugaasen, Torbjørn
Silva, Diego Afonso
de Melo, Fabiano R.
de Moura, André Luis Botelho
Costa, Hugo C. M.
Lugarini, Camile
de Sousa, Ilnaiara Gonçalves
Nienow, Samuel
Santos, Fernanda
Mendes-Oliveiras, Ana Cristina
Del Toro-Orozco, Wezddy
D'Amico, Ana Rafaela
Albernaz, Ana Luisa
Ravetta, André
do Carmo, Elaine Christina Oliveira
Ramalho, Emiliano
Valsecchi, João
Giordano, Anthony J.
Wallace, Robert
Macdonald, David W.
Sollmann, Rahel
… (more) - Abstract:
- Abstract : The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in someAbstract : The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in some interfluves (i.e. portions of land separated by large rivers) of the Amazon basin. Our local-scale analysis indicated that the presence of forest positively affected short-eared dog space use, while the density of forest edges had a negative effect. Beyond shedding light on the ecology of the short-eared dog and refining its distribution range, our results stress that forest loss poses a serious threat to the conservation of the species in a short time frame. Hence, we propose a re-assessment of the short-eared dog's current IUCN Red List status (Near Threatened) based on findings presented here. Our study exemplifies how data can be integrated across sources and modelling procedures to improve our knowledge of relatively understudied species. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Royal Society open science. Volume 7:Issue 4(2020)
- Journal:
- Royal Society open science
- Issue:
- Volume 7:Issue 4(2020)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 7, Issue 4 (2020)
- Year:
- 2020
- Volume:
- 7
- Issue:
- 4
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2020-0007-0004-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2020-04-22
- Subjects:
- carnivore conservation -- deforestation -- endemic species -- forest fragmentation -- multi-scale analysis -- species distribution
Science -- Periodicals
500 - Journal URLs:
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos ↗
- DOI:
- 10.1098/rsos.190717 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 2054-5703
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
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- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library STI - ELD Digital store
- Ingest File:
- 25079.xml